Tag Archive for "International"

Posts Tagged International

Violence against women is a global “epidemic”

The World Health Organization has declared violence against women an epidemic global health problem. They base this on the fact that one in three woman has faced sexual or intimate partner violence. Think Progress reports:

“After analyzing the mental, sexual, reproductive, and physical health consequences faced by victims of violence, the report characterized this issue as a global health epidemic.

…The report focused on health consequences of violence against women, finding that victims of intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence were twice as likely to face depression and almost twice as likely to develop alcohol use disorders. They are also more likely to have low birth-weight babies and to contract sexually transmitted infections, and 42 percent of them suffer ...

“After ...

By Lori Adelman • 10 years ago

Thank You Thursdays: The Supreme Court strikes down harmful anti-prostitution pledge

For years, the United States has endorsed an explicitly discriminatory policy against sex workers. PEPFAR, our international HIV/AIDS aid policy, contains an anti-prostitution pledge requirement stating that no funds “may be used to provide assistance to any group or organization that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking.” In practice, this means that life-saving materials like condoms, contraceptives, and even information about sex and sexuality can’t legally be distributed to sex workers by any international agencies that accept US funding. Domestic agencies have to make no such pledge, although prostitution is obviously not legal in most of the US.

This, despite the fact that female sex workers are the ones who could most benefit from ...

By Chloe Angyal • 11 years ago

While the US cuts abortion access, Australia likely to increase it

Good news, antipodean abortion lovers! The Australian government announced today that RU486, the abortion pill, is one step closer to being included in the government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, making it easier for patients to afford.

How easy? Like, between $12 and $36 easy. Which is a far cry from its current cost of $300-$800 (which is about what it is in the US, too).

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek was waiting on the advice of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, which announced yesterday that it will add miseprostol and mifepristone to the list of drugs that should be subsidised by the government. The ABC reports that,

Plibersek says it is an “important first step.”

“Now, we’ll go into a period of making sure that there ...

How easy? Like, between ...

By Alexandra Brodsky • 11 years ago

Weekly Feminist Reader

Urge the White House to recognize non-binary genders.

Five-year-old girl names dinosaur… after herself.

Why didn’t Abigail Fisher get into UT?

Support the #NotBuyingIt app!

Stop fat shaming Kim Kardashian.

A response to Chloe’s piece on “bad” bodies and “bad” feminists.

A Horace School alum speaks out about sexual abuse at the school (reported on last year by the New York Times).

On selfies.

Akiba Solomon on the value of echo chambers.

The ethics of public shaming.

The enthusiastic consent standard and sex work: “You can’t make me like it.”

The women profiled in Lisa Miller’s “feminist housewives” piece say they were misquoted.

Urge the White House to recognize non-binary genders.

Five-year-old girl names dinosaur… after herself.

Why didn’t Abigail Fisher get into UT?

Support the #NotBuyingIt app!

Stop fat shaming Kim Kardashian.

By Chloe Angyal • 11 years ago

Quick hit: New protests over sexual violence in India

**Trigger warning**

New protests have erupted in Delhi after a seven-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted at her school. The BBC reports:

Police used batons to break up angry crowds outside a hospital where the girl had been taken for treatment.

Teachers and security guards at the government school are being questioned over the alleged assault, police said.

The gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus in December sparked protests across India.

Hundreds of people gathered to protest outside the Sanjay Gandhi hospital in the Mangolpuri area of northeast Delhi as news of the alleged sex attack in a local school spread.

Protesters attacked buses and pelted police with stones.

If the perpetrator is arrested, he or she could face the newly-approved ...

**Trigger warning**

New protests have erupted in Delhi after a seven-year-old girl was allegedly assaulted at her school. The BBC reports:

Police used batons to break up angry crowds outside a hospital where the girl had been ...

By Chloe Angyal • 11 years ago

What matters

Her name was Reeva Steenkamp, and she was allegedly shot by her boyfriend this week.

That’s all that matters.

It doesn’t matter that he’s an Olympic track star. It doesn’t matter that she was blonde and “leggy.” It doesn’t matter that she posed for “bikini clad, vamping photo spreads” or spoke out against rape.

What matters is that she’s dead, because he – it appears – killed her. If you’re talking about it any other way – I’m looking at you, New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and The Guardian – you’re doing it wrong. And by “wrong,” I mean, you’re doing it a way that suggests that Steenkamp was somehow to blame, or that sympathises with the alleged ...

Her name was Reeva Steenkamp, and she was allegedly shot by her boyfriend this week.

That’s all that matters.

It doesn’t matter that he’s an Olympic track star. It doesn’t matter that she was blonde and “leggy.” It doesn’t ...

By zerlina • 11 years ago

While not perfect, #1billionrising is a step in the right direction

One Billion Rising is a global movement started by playwright and V- day founder Eve Ensler. Today on the 15th anniversary of V-day, in cities across the globe, survivors and allies are gathering in solidarity to bring awareness to the epidemic of violence against women by dancing flash mob style.

ONE BILLION RISING IS:

A global strike
An invitation to dance
A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends
An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers
A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given
A new time and a new way ...

By Chloe Angyal • 11 years ago

BREAKING: Marriage equality passes in English House of Commons

Woo hoo! Next stop, House of Lords!

The BBC reports:

MPs have approved legislation for same-sex marriage in England and Wales, despite the opposition of dozens of Conservative MPs.

The Commons voted in favour of the The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, by 400 to 175, a majority of 225, at the end of a full day’s debate on the bill.

Prime Minister David Cameron has described the move as “an important step forward” that strengthens society.

Related: Get your shit together, Australia and America!

Woo hoo! Next stop, House of Lords!

The BBC reports:

MPs have approved legislation for same-sex marriage in England and Wales, despite the opposition of dozens of Conservative MPs.

The Commons voted in favour of ...